Wichita eagle., 1887-10-05
WORK RESUMED.
The New Opera House to be Erected as Fast as
Good Work Can be Done--Arehitect go.
ID. A. Masters Talks.

u
Good Work Can be Done--Arehitect -.
d. A. Masters Talks.
Six hands yesterday. commenced.-brick
work 'on the new opera house, Work. was
commenced on determination of the west
end of the building. q Contractors Steinmet2
and Sullivan will increase the number OF
hands. Just as fast as good work will allow.
The brick noT being used is the Carthage
brick. with which the walls will be made
near eighteen feet high, reaching to the top
of the stage.T Above that point SteiDmetz
g. Sullivan brick will be used. All brick
will be laid in cement morter, as formerly
desired. making, rs Mr.. G. A. Masters says,
the mcst substantial wall ever put in an
opera house he has superintended.
Mr. Masters arrived in the city
Yesterday and concerning the re-
building said, 'sthat wall if it is put up right
will be the most solid Of any opera house
ever worked on. You can also rest assured
that intend that it shall be done right. In
addition TO having the greatest respect for
the ability Of contractors .Steinmetz & Sulli-
van. intend to give the matter my personal
attention 4 Some seem to think that the
walls are too light, but they are just four
inches thicker than any other I have put W
and I have put up quite number. pro
nose this time to see that everything is car
ried out according to original plans and
specifications.
.sWe will commence tearing down old
walls '71>- tomorrow. There has been
number of cranks who have been
down looking ct the building and editorial
lied concerning how much OF the wall shall
he torn down. Some draw line snd say
this is the dead line and others place the
dead line some where else. Now then,
claim that none. can tell until the wall is ex'
amined more thoroughly than from look at
the outside. In order to learn thoroughly OF
the strength of the remaining walls we will
have to tear. down the walls and see how
they look on the inside. When wall is
cracked so badly that it should beseen on the
outside of course it can be torn down. Of
ten a wallis defective when there are no dis
able signs9 on the outside. According
to nv way of doing business it may
have to be torn down lower than external
evidences call for. As to how much OF the
wall is TO be taken down that can certainly
not be determined until the inside Of the
wall is examined. When we find solid wall
we will commence work on that, and we will
find solid wall if we are compelled to go to
the foundation. propose to go ahead and
attend to my business without paying any
attention to the opinions OF those who are
not entitled to an opinion on the subject not
having given the subject more than pass
ing glance It makes me smile to bear some
fellows talking about subjects of which they
know nothi e. For instance, heard bank
er.say "of course the old mortar was nc
good because it had no hair in it." The
lack of hair was not the trouble
with the old mortar as any man
who knows anything Of the subject viii
say"
"Some claim that because the joists are
higher at one end than the other, they act
like a'togle joint forcing the walls apart
When tie ioists are tied together, as they arr
in this case, it's 10 togle joint, but dead
weight It's perfectly foolish to claim other
WISE
81 would like to get some thorough!
practically men to look at the building"
"The most common criticism is that TIL
| walls are too high and there is too much
weight on them. The west wall is sixty-fv'
feet and weighs five and onehalf ton. Tht
roof on it two tons, making sever
and one-half ton on that wall. The poorest
of Salmon brick would give that
wall strength from forty to sixty tons. Ii
the wall is built of hard brick it will stand
| from two hundred to four hundred tons
You can see from these cold facts that Their,
is no danger of the wall crushing wher
made from the brick we are using.
'In the auditorium it is safe weight a
three hundred and fifty pounds to the square
foot and the space allowed is four and one
half square feet to the person. The audito
rum is constructed ON that basis, and l can
see how any one can have reason to have an.
fears. Any one desiring information con
corning the building will be accommodates
most cheerfully by calling Oh me-"